Winter/Endurance Bike Opinions
Comments
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w00dster wrote:The Whyte Wessex comes with 30mm tyres, that's hardly wide? Also takes full mud guards which makes it the fastest bike to do so....the advert says that.
Anyway, I don't think the bike would lose speed over skinnier rivals. Just swap the tyres out for 25 or 28s if you felt they were limiting you. My winter road bike has 32's and is close to 1kg heavier than the Wessex and its absolutely fine.
The Wessex is a decent looking bike though and gets good reviews...
http://road.cc/content/review/208403-whyte-wessex
I personally don't see the Wessex as a Gravel bike though, but it could certainly do the job if you wanted to. As someone who rides off-road I prefer to have as wide a tyre as possible, and 30mm tyre for off-road isn't wide. Not sure what the max width the Wessex can take though but without guards probably a bit more than 33mm. For reference, my Trek Domane takes 32mm with full guards, 33mm aggressive knobbly without guards or 35mm Schwalbe G One without guards.
Like I say I be interested to see how it goes.
Personally if you're swapping wheels and tyres out, removing mudguards etc - I d just rather have an old hack as a winter bike - and spend my decent cash on a lighter faster bike.
I tend to believe user reviews more than article reviews - I don't actually know anyone who owns a wessex though.0 -
kingrollo wrote:Like I say I be interested to see how it goes.
Personally if you're swapping wheels and tyres out, removing mudguards etc - I d just rather have an old hack as a winter bike - and spend my decent cash on a lighter faster bike.
+ 1. 10 years ago I started out with a year round bike, a proper 'winter trainer' with mudguards and long drop brakes. First couple of years I'd take the guards off in the summer and faff about changing tyres. Then I realised it rains just as much in the summer so I stopped bothering. And then I bought a lighter bike so I now have a wet bike and a dry bike.
Much easier that way; I just stick my head out of the door and take whichever bike the weather suggests0 -
keef66 wrote:kingrollo wrote:Like I say I be interested to see how it goes.
Personally if you're swapping wheels and tyres out, removing mudguards etc - I d just rather have an old hack as a winter bike - and spend my decent cash on a lighter faster bike.
+ 1. 10 years ago I started out with a year round bike, a proper 'winter trainer' with mudguards and long drop brakes. First couple of years I'd take the guards off in the summer and faff about changing tyres. Then I realised it rains just as much in the summer so I stopped bothering. And then I bought a lighter bike so I now have a wet bike and a dry bike.
Much easier that way; I just stick my head out of the door and take whichever bike the weather suggests
Yep thats what I do. Only problem is I much prefer my summer bike - so my winter bike is really my deep winter bike (Dec to Mid/late feb) !!!
The problem the wessex tries to solve is that you are riding a top notch carbon all year round. Problem is its not that light , and it has wider tyres . My thinking (....and yer pays ya money !!!!) - Its that its a great winter bike that you can tolerate in the summer - But I don't reckon it would be as good in the summer months as a lightweight carbon, running 25's , with deep sections .......
Its an interesting idea from wessex and I will interested to see the take up - and how the op gets on with it.0 -
Have you thought about titanium. A genuine winter option and a frame for life...0
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Thanks everyone for the replies.
It is a bit of an impulse buy. With our weather in Ireland I've had my usual winter bike with guards out since mid-October and I'd say it will be used until at least mid/end March so that is almost half of the cycling year. I also tend to do more miles in the winter months that the summer.
The state of the roads at the moment are appalling and my current winter bike with guards fitted can only take 23c tyres so it isn't exactly built for comfort.
Give the amount of miles, the Irish weather and the quality of the roads I may as well get a bike that I enjoy riding over the winter and although it won't be as fast/light as the summer bike, I don't need it to be as I have a few other summer bikes that do tick those boxes, however I do want to enjoy riding it and being comfortable is a big part of that enjoyment. If it can also double us a summer bike for wet weather/long miles, then even better as it means I can sell on my carbon synapse.
I don't think there is one bike that ticks all the boxes, but the Wessex will hopefully ticks most of them and if I want to shed a bit of weight for summer rides, then a lighter set of wheels may well help.
Will hopefully collect it this week if the mudguards arrive on time and will update on my initial thoughts0 -
The bike had been sitting in the box and obviously had been used as a source of spare parts.micrographia wrote
I'll just note that the UK distributor doesn't carry spares for the mudguards, so I'd loctite and regularly check the mounting screws and have put a turn of leccy tape around the jaws that grip the guard. Long flaps for the end of the guards went down well with club mates (used a dremel to drill a hole), gratuitous cross-chaining with the Yaw front derailer good for winding up those who notice that sort of thing
When I first saw it the front wheel, saddle, seatpost, mudguards and outer chain wheel were missing.
Hargreaves restored it to a functional state before I picked it up but I did not get the white wall tyres or the brown (orange?) mudguards.
I didn't mind as the tyres are the better Duranos and the mudguards are longer SKS ones
I do like SRAM Rival - its so much better than the well used Apex on the previous bike - and cross chaining without realising is definitely an issue.0 -
The basic build titanium Pickenflicks at PlanetX have been £1000 since yesterday, along with six other bikes.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/deals/magnificent-7================
2020 Voodoo Marasa
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo0 -
gt grade
tiffosi cavasso0 -
Any updates from the OP ?0
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Only had one shortish 40 mile ride as there was an issue with the front brakes so it had to go back to the LBS for a new front shifter and I only just got it back yesterday.
I hated it for the first 10 miles, it just felt strange to ride, very different to my other bikes and felt very twitchy at the front, but once I settled into it, I absolutely loved it. The comfort was the most noticeable thing as our roads are generally terrible but the other ,main thing I noticed was how responsive it was when wanting to push up a climb or up the pace suddenly. You do notice the weight of the bike but in all honesty I can't say it held me back.
Hopefully get a longer ride at the weekend if the "beast from the east" doesn't scupper that!0 -
Dazz, what was the shifter issue? My Apex 1 lh shifter has gone back to SRAM as the lever had free play before the brakes engaged.My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
Facebook? No. Just say no.0 -
dazz_ni45 wrote:Only had one shortish 40 mile ride as there was an issue with the front brakes so it had to go back to the LBS for a new front shifter and I only just got it back yesterday.
I hated it for the first 10 miles, it just felt strange to ride, very different to my other bikes and felt very twitchy at the front, but once I settled into it, I absolutely loved it. The comfort was the most noticeable thing as our roads are generally terrible but the other ,main thing I noticed was how responsive it was when wanting to push up a climb or up the pace suddenly. You do notice the weight of the bike but in all honesty I can't say it held me back.
Hopefully get a longer ride at the weekend if the "beast from the east" doesn't scupper that!
Thats a shame at least it was only a minor niggle. - It was the Wessex you went for in the end ?0 -
bendertherobot wrote:Dazz, what was the shifter issue? My Apex 1 lh shifter has gone back to SRAM as the lever had free play before the brakes engaged.
It was leaking fluid somewhere in the shifter which I found out at a road end at the bottom of a steep hill! All sorted now though0 -
kingrollo wrote:dazz_ni45 wrote:Only had one shortish 40 mile ride as there was an issue with the front brakes so it had to go back to the LBS for a new front shifter and I only just got it back yesterday.
I hated it for the first 10 miles, it just felt strange to ride, very different to my other bikes and felt very twitchy at the front, but once I settled into it, I absolutely loved it. The comfort was the most noticeable thing as our roads are generally terrible but the other ,main thing I noticed was how responsive it was when wanting to push up a climb or up the pace suddenly. You do notice the weight of the bike but in all honesty I can't say it held me back.
Hopefully get a longer ride at the weekend if the "beast from the east" doesn't scupper that!
Thats a shame at least it was only a minor niggle. - It was the Wessex you went for in the end ?
Yes went for the Wessex. Got a great deal on it from a LBS.
The mudguards are a bit light and and very easy to knock out of position (bike has been in and out of the boot a few times which hasn't helped). It will be interesting to see how long they last.0 -
dazz_ni45 wrote:kingrollo wrote:dazz_ni45 wrote:Only had one shortish 40 mile ride as there was an issue with the front brakes so it had to go back to the LBS for a new front shifter and I only just got it back yesterday.
I hated it for the first 10 miles, it just felt strange to ride, very different to my other bikes and felt very twitchy at the front, but once I settled into it, I absolutely loved it. The comfort was the most noticeable thing as our roads are generally terrible but the other ,main thing I noticed was how responsive it was when wanting to push up a climb or up the pace suddenly. You do notice the weight of the bike but in all honesty I can't say it held me back.
Hopefully get a longer ride at the weekend if the "beast from the east" doesn't scupper that!
Thats a shame at least it was only a minor niggle. - It was the Wessex you went for in the end ?
Yes went for the Wessex. Got a great deal on it from a LBS.
The mudguards are a bit light and and very easy to knock out of position (bike has been in and out of the boot a few times which hasn't helped). It will be interesting to see how long they last.
You would think with all the technology available today a mudguard that stays in place would be a walk in the park - but it seems to elude everyone ! (Not just the Wessex - seems to a greater or lesser extent to exist with all mudguards)0
